The 22nd annual Hall of Fame weekend took place Sept. 29 with its annual Competition of Black College Queens in Atlanta, Ga.
For the second year in a row, Winston-Salem State University placed high in the competition. Amber Joi Jefferson, Miss WSSU, from Baltimore, Md., was announced as first runner-up at the final competition. She competed against 34 other queens from Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation in oratory, talent, poise/projection, presentation and image.
In addition, Jefferson received a $2,000 scholarship for placing as a runner-up. She is a WSSU Burke singer and performed the song, “I’m Here”, from the hit Broadway play, “The Color Purple”, in the competition. Jefferson, who has received two callbacks for auditions for the Broadway play, hopes to pursue that opportunity when she graduates.
She is the daughter of Manning and Beverley Jefferson, and is a senior majoring in Business Marketing. She is also a WSSU Choir scholarship recipient.
The goal of the Competition of Black College Queens is to showcase African American women who have already been recognized by their respective college or university with the coveted title of campus queen. The competition highlights the intellect, talent and personalities of these young women at HBCUs.
Additionally, the competition serves as a means to provide financial assistance to HBCUs by presenting scholarships to the winners of the competition.
Last year’s Miss WSSU, Tiffany Turner, placed as second runner-up in the competition, making it the first time that the university made the semi-finals.